Information storage devices use magnetic media to store data and a movable read head or slider positioned over the magnetic media to selectively read data from and write data to the magnetic media. In a modern magnetic hard disk drive device, each read head is a sub-component of a head-gimbal assembly (HGA). The HGA also includes a suspension assembly for holding the read head and providing a plurality of electrical connections thereto. The suspension assembly typically includes a fragile laminated flexure to carry the electrical signals to and from the head. The HGA, in turn, is a sub-component of a head-stack assembly (HSA) that typically includes a plurality of HGAs, an actuator, and a flex cable. The plurality of HGAs are attached to various arms of the actuator, and each of the laminated flexures of the HGAs has a flexure tail that is electrically connected to the HSA's flex cable.
The read head is typically bonded to a tongue portion of the fragile laminated flexure by an adhesive, for example by an epoxy adhesive, and a soldering process for electrically coupling a pad on the flexure/suspension with a pad on the read head/slider. Conventional soldering processes use solder jet bonding to deposit a molten solder ball on the slider and suspension bond pads at room temperature. However, the molten solder ball can cause thermal shock at the bond pads, which can lead to solder creep, solder joint undercut, pitch static variations and other undesirable results. As such, an improved system and method for bonding adjacent bond pads is needed.